The present invention relates to safety drawer interlock arrangements which allow a cabinet user to open only one drawer at a time to thereby prevent the cabinet from tipping over.
In cabinets having a plurality of drawers, particularly relatively narrow and high cabinets such as file cabinets containing heavy items in each of the drawers, it is desired to prevent more than one drawer from being extended at one time. If two or more drawers are opened it is possible that the cabinet can topple over. Some prior art interlock systems employ a rotatable rod extending vertically in the cabinet and coupled to a spring-loaded engaging mechanism. When a drawer is opened the rod rotates and locks the remaining drawers in a closed position. Other systems employ a flexible ribbon or cable interconnected to each of the drawers and which has sufficient slack to permit full extension of one drawer but will not allow the remaining drawers to be extended. While such systems are satisfactory, the art heretofore known has failed to recognize that such mechanisms do not provide suitable interlocking arrangements for cabinets having more than one row of drawers. Prior art systems presently known are single row systems wherein only one drawer per row can be opened. In systems where two or more rows of drawers are provided, drawers can be opened in each row simultaneously and can tip forward possibly injuring the person standing in front of the cabinet.